This “Overnight Success” Only Took 17 Years of Hard Work And Shares How We Can Do It Too – John Spence

John Spence’s catch-phrase is “Awesomely Simple”, and while John is a whole lot of awesome, he’s hardly simple. He’s a Ted-x sensation and shares a story that literally every college kid should hear

John’s entrepreneurial journey is story of hard work and redirection. He went from being kicked out of college with a D average to becoming CEO of an international Rockefeller foundation and reporting directly to Winthrop P. Rockefeller III just a few years later. This turn around wasn’t an accident, it was something John did deliberately by intentionally focusing himself squarely on where he wanted to be.

You are your focus and the company you keep

In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, John shares what he feels is the single most important lesson he’s ever learned in his life. He says: “You become what you focus on and like the people you spend time with.” John used this philosophy to pull himself up from being kicked out of college. He surrounded himself with smart people who helped him along his journey and he focused on the kind of job he wanted and what he wanted to do. John says you have to focus on your plan for success and to do so you need three things: Focus, Discipline, and Action. You need to create your own personal plan for success to focus on, and once you have that you need the discipline to actually live that plan to the highest level you possibly can. Lastly, you need to act on that plan. Without the application of action, a plan is useless. The amount of action you apply determines the results you get.

“The amount of action you apply determines the results you get,”

If you focus on your plan and surround yourself with a huge network of smart, sharp people that you go to often and trust to ask them for help, success is easily attainable. John attributes his own success to following that advice. He surrounded himself with people who helped him along his journey and he continues to do so. Moreover, he helps others openly, generously, and consistently. His focus is on always adding value to those around him and being positively impactful. As he shares his story, you have to ask yourself: Who am I surrounding myself with? What’s my plan?

I believe that small changes make a big difference and together we can be the change we want to see in the world. I'm an Entrepreneur, Leader, and Difference-Maker ... join me on my leadership journey!